


Nightcap

by NeveRoyle



Series: Comfort Food (Spacemoose RPF) [7]
Category: Hidden Block (Video Blogging RPF), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Flirting, Friendship, Gen, Regret, Secret Crush, Slow Burn, Streaming, chat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 13:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14285460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeveRoyle/pseuds/NeveRoyle
Summary: I know I’d said that I wanted to write longer pieces, but I suppose they’ll be written when they actually want to be written. I enjoy these shorter pieces, even if I take my time with them. They’re easier to write and edit, and I feel like I’m building up a more colorful narrative. Besides, by the time I’m finished with this collective work (and I do intend to finish), there will be quite a lot to read.





	Nightcap

He needed to lay off the spirits, but Ian wasn't thinking about responsibility. He set the bottle back down on the desk and returned his gaze to the rolling highway before him. The flying text to his right was a mess of conversations. Some people were asking if he was okay, others begged him to blow the horn, and still others were spamming rows of emotes in the vain hope of being funny.

No, he wasn't in a good mood. Not after the stunt he pulled that afternoon. He was lucky that Jeff didn't bolt. Or slap him. Or yell at him. Jeff was a good man, understanding and kind. And cute. And sweet. Maybe a little whiny at times. But overall a wonderful person.

That was the first reason why Ian had fallen for him.

Nearly every line in the chat was asking for the horn. Ian tapped on the N key, and the air horn sounded in both his ears. After the blaring, the chat erupted into _WHOO HOO_ and sour-looking Ian emotes.

_What's wrong Ian?_

Ian shook his head as if coming out of a daze. "Nah, just thinking about videos. I got a lot in the queue. Well, one still being edited and, like, three more still in the planning phase. It's gonna get busy."

_any more brutalfoods?_

_TUNA NOODLE MY FAAAAAAVORITE_

"Yeah, there's an idea I have..." His fingers danced toward the bottle, then flattened around the base where the thumb found itself tucked up against the dewy coldness. "But I need to narrow it down a bit..."

The familiar graphic of a crudely drawn owl bopping away to sunny music swiped to the left of the screen.

" _Money, money can help our dreams come truuueee..._ "

"Shasta29," Ian announced, "thank you for the five bucks." He paused the read the message. "'Trying to chill after a crappy day at work. Here's some of my hard-earned money. You deserve it.'"

Ian curled his fingers around the bottle. He debated taking a sip.

"No, nobody give me their hard-earned money. That goes toward bills and stuff like that. I want easily-earned money. Play money, the kind you don't miss. But thank you, Shasta29... and I hope that your evening goes a lot better."

The chat could be nice sometimes. It wasn't the same as having an actual person around, but he didn't feel as lonely. The worst times were when people felt that they had to keep him company out of fear that he was depressed. Nothing like feeling that you were a burden to your fans.

Or that you were a burden to everyone. Jeff certainly didn't have to offer to stay later. He wasn't obligated to cheer Ian up. He wasn't obligated to do anything.

***

_"You don't look so hot. Sure you're okay?"_

_"Really, Jeff, I'm fine. It's probably a headache. The weather or something. Maybe the... Jell-O..."_

_Jeff looked at him from under those soft lashes. God, he did have some beautiful eyes. It was the first thing Ian had noticed when he watched his first SpaceHamster video. That and the dopey, almost slurred voice Jeff employed for humorous effect._

_Now those eyes stared at him almost pleadingly. Ian ran his fingers over his hair and glanced away._

_"Don't worry about me, Jeff. You need to get home before it gets too dark. I'll take some Tylenol. I gotta get ready to stream in a few hours."_

_Jeff shrugged. "Okay. If you're sure." As he turned, he whipped around and clapped his hands before pointing two fingers at Ian. "Hey, idea! Why don't we do a collab review on that movie we just watched? It'll give you a break from foods and games."_

_Ian's head hurt. He wanted Jeff gone, out of his apartment, away from his reach. Why didn't Jeff freak out? He needed to leave before Ian did something stupid, like close the gap between them and pull the other man into his arms._

_He mustered his patience. With a shrug, he raised his eyebrows in what he hoped looked like a casual expression. "We can. Might be a while, though."_

_"Understand. I got my own stuff, too. See ya, huh?"_

_"See ya."_

_After the door clicked shut, Ian stared at the space Jeff had occupied. The memory of Jeff's warmth pooled over his palms. He closed his eyes against a vision of his hands pulling that bright face toward his._

***

With aching fingertips, Ian picked up the chilly bottle and took another swig. It wasn't like he was spiraling out of control. It was just one drink… after the vodka shots from earlier.

“I’m fine,” he said after seeing a storm of questions in the chat. “It’s the kind of night for chilling and sipping a… good brew… Can’t let this stuff go to waste.” An airy chuckle escaped his lips. He hoped it didn’t sound drunk.

“Born-on date?” he repeated after someone in the chat asked. He turned the bottle and squinted at the nearly microscopic numbers running along the edge of the label. April of next year.

“Uh… next month. Yeah, I gotta drink this now.” It wasn’t that big of a fudge, but he felt guilty for lying.

His phone made two brief vibrations. He glanced at the notification, expecting it to be a retweet, but froze when he saw the name.

Jeff was texting him.

Another storm of texts and emotes crawled up his peripheral vision. He stared at the screen before picking up the phone. The chat could wait.

_Hey Ian, I’m really digging this collab idea, I even thought of a few riffs. We can totally make this like mst3k if you want._

Ian laughed out loud. Jeff didn’t take to _Mystery Science Theater 3000_ like Ian had hoped, but the idea of his friend wanting to incorporate elements of his favorite show into a project…

_Don’t make me fall more in love with you, Jeff,_ he thought.

Ian quickly typed back. _Sounds good. But let’s get a script first, right?_

Jeff sent back a thumbs up emoji.

Ian set the phone down and returned his attention to the screen. His truck had gone off road and was straining against a stop sign. The chat was roaring with hundreds of _LOL_ s and a single _Where did you learn to drive?_

“Sorry.” Ian cleared his throat. He steered the truck back on the road and rolled along. “That was Jeff. SpaceHamster. We’re in the talks to do a video together.”

He smiled at the sudden turn in the chat. Applauding emotes and cheers flooded the little box. Then came the questions.

_whens it gonna happen_

_OMFG Brutalmoose and Spacehamster!_

_When can we expect a video?_

“I don’t know yet, but it’s gonna be fun.”

With that, Ian took a celebratory swig from his bottle. _Here’s to friendship that lasts through difficult and awkward times._

**Author's Note:**

> I know I’d said that I wanted to write longer pieces, but I suppose they’ll be written when they actually want to be written. I enjoy these shorter pieces, even if I take my time with them. They’re easier to write and edit, and I feel like I’m building up a more colorful narrative. Besides, by the time I’m finished with this collective work (and I do intend to finish), there will be quite a lot to read.


End file.
